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Financial Calculation Programs for Linux
The world of finance is rife with mathematical formulas. We are all familiar with the elementary ones like those for compound interest or tallying up the value of a savings account if we add a certain amount each month over a period of time. These kinds of formulas are fairly simple and, in general, they can be handled with nothing more than a calculator. Loan amortizations and their inverse, sinking funds, are a little more difficult, but even these types of financial problems succumb to either a calculator or a simple computer program.
In this article I would like to consider a more difficult problem, usually referred to as finding the internal rate of return (IRR). Stated simply, if we make a number of expenditures at different times and receive a number of payments, also at different times, what is the effective interest rate? Because the times are not constrained to regular intervals, the simple formulas referred to above are inadequate. In fact, amortizations, such as car and home loans, are a special case of IRR where the payments and time intervals are both constant. For example, a standard four-year car loan with fixed monthly payments is really an IRR problem where you receive one lump sum at time zero (the loan value) and pay it back in 48 installments. These installments happen to be equal and happen to occur at equal time intervals, namely monthly.
We will first develop the equation for the IRR, then solve it with three equivalent programs in Perl, C and Java. This way you can compare the same algorithm in three different languages. I have found this an interesting and efficient way to learn computer languages. As an added treat we will handle both the discrete and continuous compounding cases in each program. When we are done, you will have a very general program (three programs, actually) which can handle almost any financial interest rate problem.
The trick to working with money problems is to understand a concept called "the time value of money". If someone agrees to give you $100 a year from now, that promise is, for financial purposes, worth less than $100. And, if the $100 is promised two years hence, it is worth even less. Conversely, if you agree to give someone $100 a year from now, you can start with less than that now and let your money earn a year's interest before parting with it. People are willing to pay a premium to be able to have things sooner rather than later, and this idea leads to the concept of interest and the time value of money.
Let us consider, for the moment, only discrete compounding, and let us further restrict the discussion to annual compounding, at say eight percent. Our $100 invested for one year increases to $108. Leave it invested for another year and we have $116.64. So, we can see that the general formula for determining the value V of D dollars invested at interest rate i percent for t years is
V = D * (1 + i / 100) t
or, in our case,
V = 100 * (1.08) tIn general, we multiply by (1 + i / 100) t to find values in the future and divide by the same factor to find past values. And this explains why and how the state lotteries can give you the choice of taking your winnings as either a series of checks at future time intervals or as one lump sum now. The lump sum results from reducing each of those checks by the above factor (calculated separately for each time interval) and summing the resulting amounts. The lump sum is, of course, always smaller than the total of all those checks, and that is the amount you sacrifice to have the money now rather than later. We will come back to lotteries later after we develop our programs.
We are now in a position to state the rule that governs financial transactions that take place over a period of time: the sum of all the transactions, corrected to the same (any) time using the IRR must total zero. If you think about this for a minute it makes perfectly good sense because, if the interest rate was zero, all of the correction factors would be one and this rule would state no more than the simple fact that expenditures must equal income. Interest compounds (no pun intended) the problem by introducing those pesky correction factors to account for the increase of money with time.
First, the transaction values have to be signed, with inflows typically positive and outflows negative (although reversing the signs consistently will not affect the resulting IRR). Let us take an easy example. You deposit $100 in the bank, withdrawing $40 one year later and $70 after two years. Correcting all transactions to the present, the IRR is the value of i that satisfies the equation:
-100 + 40 / (1 + i / 100) + 70 / ((1 + i / 100) 2) = 0
I will leave it to the reader to solve this one with the hint to define x = (1 + i / 100) and solve for x first, then i. Congratulations, if you got i = 6.02%. You probably solved a quadratic equation, and if so, you may have noticed the reason for the quadratic—three different transactions: now and one and two years hence. These kinds of problems get increasingly hard as the number of time periods increase and that provides the motivation for our program(s).
Before I present an algorithm to address financial problems, let us expand our scope to include not only discrete compounding but continuous compounding as well. This turns out to be very easy. Our factors become exponentials instead of powers, so (1 + i /100) t is replaced by exp(i * t / 100) . Money compounded continuously grows faster than money compounded discretely at the same rate and for this reason IRRs for continuous compounding are smaller than IRRs for the same discrete problem. You may wish to try recomputing our $100 bank account problem for continuous compounding. The IRR for this problem is 5.85%.
Let us agree on a straightforward input format with one dollar, time pair per line with both dollars and times as floating-point numbers for complete generality. For our little bank account problem the input file is:
-100 0.0 40 1.0 70 2.0
Note the negative sign on the investment.
I chose Newton's method to solve this problem, mainly because I know that the powers in the problem and their derivatives are well-behaved functions. More importantly, however, we have a handle on the IRR. Interest rates are usually in the 3% to 20% range, allowing us to choose a starting value that is, for most real world problems, going to ensure convergence.
Initially, I used a straightforward algorithm, applying Newton's method directly to the IRR equation. While I was successful, I noted that for some data sets the number of iterations required was disturbingly large. I plotted the IRR equation against the interest and quickly discovered the problem. Newton's method owes its simplicity to the neglect of all terms beyond linear ones, and thus, it works best when higher-order terms are relatively small. Another way of saying the same thing is that the closer the function is to a straight line, the quicker the linear Newton's method converges.
My plots revealed significant curvature of the IRR function, so I tried manipulating the equation into a "flatter" form. The trick is to collect the time-corrected terms into separate negative (expenses) and positive (income) groups. If we denote the sums as pos_sum and neg_sum we have equality:
pos_sum = neg_sum
where both sums are positive numbers. Dividing both sides of this equation by pos_sum and taking the logarithm of the result we have:
ln(neg_sum / pos_sum) = 0The logarithm flattens the function and makes for very quick convergence. The slight trade-off of having to calculate the log is more than compensated for by the reduction in the number of iterations. I made the following substitution:
exp(-u) = 1 + iand solved for u first, then i, which simplifies the calculations even more.
Three listings are available for anonymous download from ftp.linuxjournal.com/pub/lj/listings/issue48/2545.tgz: Listing 1 is the Perl program, irr.pl;Listing 2 is the same program in C, irr.c; and Listing 3, irr.java, is the equivalent Java code. Due to space considerations only the Perl code is printed here (see Listing 1).
Let us look at the Perl program first. It is the shortest of the three programs, in part because of Perl's many built-in functions and in part because of Perl's built-in memory management. It displays a simple usage message and exits should the user forget the expected format. There are three constants, one to control the maximum number of iterations before exiting the Newton loop, one to decide if convergence has occurred, and a starting value for the IRR (u = i = 0.0).
The data file is read in a loop, using the arrays @pos_d, @pos_t, @neg_d and @neg_t to hold the income and expenses and their respective times. Note that Perl dynamically allocates memory for the arrays as the data is read. The write function performs formatted output using the formats at the end of the program. Before starting the Newton algorithm loop we make sure the input data contains both income and expenses—the algorithm will not converge unless it does.
The for loop on the variable $iters is the Newton algorithm, where $d_neg and $d_pos are the derivatives with respect to u of the numerator and denominator, respectively. The program concludes with a display of the IRR if convergence is attained. Note that scalar variables start with a dollar sign and arrays with an @ sign. Variables and arrays do not have types and can contain strings or numbers with the type being determined by usage.
Note that Perl's print function accepts variable names and interpolates the actual value, whereas printf works pretty much like its C counterpart. Also, you can put "if" tests after the statements they control.
As a non-trivial example, consider the data set in Listing 2. In this example you spend $1000 today, get back $500 in a year, only to spend another $2000 two years from today, etc., with a total of six transactions spread out over five years. We can run the Perl program with this data set by typing:
irr.pl irr.dat
This results in a display of the input data followed by the line:
IRR = 10.6952% (discrete) = 10.1611% (continuous) after 3 iterations.Note that it takes a higher interest rate when compounding is discrete to give the same return as continuous compounding. You will, of course, get the same results from the other two programs.
The C program is longer than its Perl equivalent—about twice as long. In the C program, I chose to define a structure for the dollar and time pairs. One complication—I had to scan the input data twice: the first time to determine the number of pairs so that I could use malloc to allocate memory for the array of structures, the second to actually load the data into memory. In this program I placed the Newton algorithm in a static function called irr. This function is of a defined type, ITERATOR, and returns either OK or NO_CONVERGE depending on whether the algorithm converges. The iterating function looks very much like the equivalent Perl code.
The Java program for IRR is longer yet, partly because of the exception checking, but also because I defined several classes in addition to my public Irr class. There are no structures in Java, so I put the input data into its own Expenses class. I used the interface Do_irr_returns to hold the return values as the equivalent to the C enumerations for the same purpose. This organization of the program into classes and interfaces tends to increase the amount of code, but leads to clear and easy-to-read programs. The MyDouble and MyInt classes serve another purpose, as well.
In Java, native variables are passed by value. There is no concept of passing by address, at least for individual built-in variables. One way around this limitation is to create classes as wrappers and then to pass the classes to methods. The MyDouble class is endowed with a constructor, so that we can set an initial value for du.
Note that there was no reason to scan the input data twice in this case. The variable in_data of type Vector grows automatically as elements are added—no allocating or reallocating of memory is necessary.
I contacted my state lottery in Colorado and came up with a good IRR problem. If you win the lottery, you have a choice of taking a lump sum equal to 40% of your winnings or 25 payments starting with 1/40 of your winnings followed by checks that increase by 3.7% each year. For example, if you win a million dollars you can walk away with a check for $400,000 (less federal and state withholding taxes of 28% and 4%, respectively) or receive yearly payments starting with $25,000, then $25,925, etc., through the last check for $59,790.22 (withholding applies to these checks, too). Add up those 25 checks and, indeed, you get your million dollars. (For you purists, or if you just like to count your pennies, you will note that the exact total is $1,000,066.48. The true increase each year is slightly less than 3.7%.) The question faced by every lottery winner is whether it is better to take the lump sum or the payments over time. From a strictly financial standpoint the question is answered once the IRR is determined. That is, at what interest rate would you have to invest the $400,000 to be able to write yourself the same 25 checks? The answer will be in my next article.
We have looked at the problem of determining the effective interest rate for a series of expenditures and returns of arbitrary amounts and occurring at arbitrary times. We developed the equation for the internal rate of return and manipulated it into a form that is suitable for application of Newton's method. We looked at equivalent programs in Perl, C and Java. You can use these programs to solve for interest rates and to compare investments for any problem involving transactions over time.
Jim has been programming since 1967 and using Linux for about three years. He uses Perl, Java and C to work on telecommunications and GIS applications in his professional life and number theory and cryptography problems in his other life. He is trying, as always, to make his squash and programming skills commensurate. He can be reached via e-mail at email@example.com.


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Maggie is a Labrador Retriever/Pit Bull mix who is a year-and-a-half old. She has a typical lovable Lab personality. She's fun, active and loyal. Maggie gets along well with other dogs and with new people. Add Maggie to your life and you'll never be lonely again.
Stop by Animal House Adoption Center, 3516 Newburg Road, to see Maggie. You can also call 502.473.PETS (7387). Check out other available animals at www.Louisvilleky.gov/AnimalServices.

subset: commoncrawl


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Couple things.#4 interests me a lot. If the Red Sox believe Papelbon is likely to become a free agent after 2011 (and ask for more $ than the team believes it should pay for a 31-year-old closer), would they start overworking him?
1) The gun reads what they want it to read on some nights, first hand knowledge and experience of that:)
2) Paps has much less fast ball command this year than in years past, it happens.
3) His split is less consistent this year, not getting the drop as much. That happens to as your middle finger tends to 'bow' towards your pinky the longer you throw the pitch, eventually (at least for me) requiring a grip change to get consistent action. Mine was caused by the dreaded finger moving while at the same time arm speed dropping due to labrum tear. Arm speed = #1 pre-req for split movement.
4) I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pap rules start to change if the team does in fact envision him moving on. Why protect an asset you will not control?
5) I'd still take him as my closer over anyone other than Mo or Nathan.
brimac noted that Papelbon has allowed 1.36 baserunners per inning this season. He then offered a "scattered sampling" of other closers and their BR/IP (stats do not include last night):
brimac included HBP in his totals; that's why this 1.36 number is slightly higher than Bot's 1.31 WHIP.Nathan 0.81
Rivera 0.85
Broxton 0.94
Hoffman 1.02
Cordero 1.11
K-Rod 1.19
Sherrill 1.12
Jenks 1.35
Papelbon 1.36
Capps 1.75


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Welcome to the World's Most Haunted Places
Posted 06 September 2004 - 10:44 AM
Posted 08 September 2004 - 05:09 AM
Mykiedave's and my copy was waiting for us here in Texas, so it was a wonderful welcoming present!
I'm skipping around in it and really enjoying it alot! The Spaghetti Warehouse in Houston is very nearby...We'll stop in and let you know what we see and feel there!
Great job, Jeff!
I've been hit by mrsspookypants
Posted 21 September 2004 - 10:33 PM
But thats ok,
Congratulations Jeff!
Evergreen Paranormals' Thornewood Castle Investigation
Posted 22 September 2004 - 12:16 AM
and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-of-Jim-Demick/261669903877527
"There are some things money can't buy...A good imagination is one of them
Posted 22 September 2004 - 01:36 PM
Great job..My daughter and I have been to The Castle Inn twice. Both times we had experiences. I heard Henry coughing in our room..and my daughter was tucked in by Henry! We love the Castle Inn!
Posted 22 September 2004 - 01:40 PM
Take my hand and we'll go riding through the sunshine from above
Posted 22 September 2004 - 02:28 PM
Posted 22 September 2004 - 04:59 PM
The first time we visited the Castle Inn was in June of 2003. We were in room 9. Every night our showere would turn on by itself, and sometimes the toilet would flush. This was unnerveing in that the washroom was down a half flight of stairs attached to our room. One morning I was irritated by what I THOUGHT was an insect crawling on my ankle. I assured myself that nothing was crawling on me, only to have the sensation come back in an amplified manner. I put on socks..put my foot under the covers..wahsed the area..brushed away "whatever"..to no avail. The sensation kept getting more and more intense, until, about 1 full hour later..it just stopped.
One night at about 1:30, I heard the showere come on. I was just getting up to investigate when outside our room, I heard footsteps...and then I smelled something horrible. The smell got very intense..as did my fear when all of a sudden it just ceased. The odor didn't decrease in intensity..it just was not anymore. At that moment, I heard a child's soft laughter.
I will relate the experiences of trip number 2 in a later post.
Posted 14 October 2004 - 08:47 PM
great work there, jeff!!
Posted 24 October 2004 - 10:03 AM
Posted 25 October 2004 - 08:24 AM
To pick the places I started geographically. I wanted to get a good cross-section of the world. For example, in Australia, I started looking for well-known haunted places. Some names came up repeatedly and so I looked deeper into those locations. By no means is my book a complete list of famous haunted places, but these were places where I could generally find first-hand accounts, that were diverse in the nature of their hauntings as well as the type of place, and that were spread out around the world representing different countries and cultures.
Posted 26 October 2004 - 08:32 AM
Posted 22 August 2018 - 08:15 AM
Such a good book. I loaned my copy to a friend. He just returned it and said he loved it, that it was a great read.
and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-of-Jim-Demick/261669903877527
"There are some things money can't buy...A good imagination is one of them
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The next episode of The Edge Factor Show promises to tell the most dramatic story to date of manufacturing improving lives and expanding the scope of what human beings can do.
"Metal & Flesh" tells the story of Mike Schultz, a renowned motocross and winter sports athlete whose competitive career might have ended when he lost his leg in a snowmobile accident. The reason it didn't end is because he refused to let even this loss stop him.
Featured Content
Inventing and engineering his own artificial leg design, Schultz created the prosthesis that enabled him to return to high-level competition in his chosen sports. Now, he has begun to manufacture the leg for other amputee athletes, including one who recently lost his leg during military service in Iraq.
The full episode of the show is still being filmed and won't be seen until next year, but a preview is now playing in IMTS's Advanced Manufacturing Center, Booth W-160.
The Edge Factor Show is an ongoing film project that highlights dramatic manufacturing successes and the excitement of working with real-life manufacturing technology. The show recently spawned "EDU Factor," a project that will produce interactive educational resources on manufacturing technology for engineering and vocational educators.


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American Housewife
A family comedy narrated by Katie, a strong-willed mother, raising her flawed family in a wealthy town filled with perfect wives and their perfect offspring.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Daniel DiMaggio , Carly Hughes
Director: Sarah Dunn
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Quality: HD
Release: 2016
IMDb: 7.3
Season 1 - American Housewife
"Katie tries to help Anna-Kat fit in at school. Taylor and Oliver like the luxe Westport lifestyle."
"Greg comes down with the flu and Katie battles exhaustion trying to take care of him and the kids. Her exhaustion leads to a confrontation with the school's overbearing school crossing guard."
"Katie, jealous of Taylor\u2019s friendship with neighbor Viv, reluctantly competes in the Westport Halloween \u201cZombie Run\u201d after she finds out they\u2019ll both be running. Meanwhile, Greg and Anna-Kat get a little too much in character for the \u201czombie\u201d part of the run\u2019s obstacle course."
"When Anna-Kat draws an unflattering portrait of Katie for the school art show, Katie plans to retrieve it before anyone can see it; Doris is left in charge of Oliver and Taylor."
"Katie tries to fit in with the other Westport moms in order to get Anna-Kat invited to a popular girl's birthday party. When Anna-Kat still isn't invited, Katie vents to Angela and Doris, and realizes her daughter doesn't need a bunch of friends, just a couple of close ones. Elsewhere, Greg tries to convince Taylor that she can't get by on her athletic ability alone, while Oliver complains about a flawed polo shirt that his mom bought at an outlet store."
"Katie's mother Kathryn (Wendie Malick) shows up for Thanksgiving, and typically wants to be the center of attention. Just prior, Katie met with Anna-Kat's teacher, who said Anna-Kat is more anxious than normal, and Katie realizes her own anxiety over her mother is affecting her daughter. Also, an unwanted guest (Viv) crashes the Otto family Thanksgiving."
"Katie and Greg throw themselves into PTA politics when they learn that Anna-Kat\u2019s special needs teacher, Dr. Ellie, has been cut from the school budget. Greg gets elected to the PTA, and things are looking good, but can Katie keep her mouth in check long enough to win the votes they need?"
"Oliver is secretly taking dancing and manners classes in hopes of getting the girl he likes to go to the Westport Cotillion with him. He asks for his dad\u2019s help in keeping this all secret from Katie, afraid that she\u2019ll interfere, but that\u2019s easier said than done,"
"Katie's holiday spirit, never great to begin with, is soured even further when Viv corners her into helping out with the school Christmas pageant. Greg, determined to teach Taylor and Oliver the true meaning of Christmas, takes them to a local nursing home to cheer up the residents, but things don't quite turn out the way he planned."
"Katie and Greg are thrilled when Anna-Kat finally has a playdate with a \"normal\" girl. But Anna-Kat has a little secret: She's a budding kleptomaniac and has taken something from her new friend Penny's home. Greg wants her to return the item and fess up, but Katie disagrees, especially since Penny's mom, Chloe Brown Mueller, is one of Westport's most infamous gossips."
"The Ottos struggle with being stuck at home without power during a snowstorm."
"Oliver tells his parents that he's so embarrassed by their modest house that he'd rather not have a birthday party at all. Katie decides to teach him a lesson by ambushing him with a surprise party at home with all his wealthy friends."
"The Ottos face the prospect of leaving Westport when their house is put up for sale. No one wants to leave except Katie, who seems determined to move on despite some fun memories of her family's time there."
"Katie's least favorite holiday is Valentine's Day, but her desire for a low-key approach is overridden by Greg's over-the-top romantic gestures. Meanwhile Oliver has an expensive gift for the girl he's crushing on, and Taylor tries to put one over on her parents in order to attend a Valentine's Day party."
"Greg befriends fellow history buff Stan, but Katie is less than pleased, especially considering he is married to her nemesis, Chloe Brown Mueller."
"Katie lets everyone fend for themselves and is a bit surprised when they don't seem to need her."
"After Katie encourages Viv to stand up to her husband, she ends up leaving him."
"Greg blames Katie for setting a bad example when Taylor quits her school activities."
"Doris insists that Katie attend the charity polo match she's organizing."
"Anna-Kat tells her parents that all she wants for her birthday is to walk to the library alone."
"When Anna-Kat develops a fear of water and stops bathing, her therapist suggests the Ottos get her to go swimming. But can Katie get over own her fear of wearing a bathing suit in public at the Westport Country Club so she can help her kid out? Meanwhile Oliver gives his dad a style makeover after students at the college give Greg a low \u201cjalape\u00f1o\u201d score."
"Katie and Greg enjoy a night on the town with Angela\u2019s ex after Celeste, an editor, helps Greg land his first book deal. But Angela, who has asked Katie not to socialize with her former wife, is furious and accuses her of being a bad friend"
"Katie has been avoiding the mandatory volunteer hours at her kids\u2019 schools all year. But when the other moms pressure her, she hits on a genius excuse after wearing a fake pregnancy \u201cempathy\u201d bump leads everyone to think she is pregnant. But things soon get out of hand after her former frenemies plan a baby shower for her."
Season 2 - American Housewife
"Katie\u2019s efforts to get more time for herself backfire when she is forced to mend fences with the Westport moms by volunteering to run the school\u2019s spring gala. Meanwhile, Oliver proves to Katie that his passion for ballet is genuine, inspiring her to confront his belittling teacher and stick up for him. Taylor and Greg disagree over whether or not she needs to go to college while he teaches her how to drive."
"Despite pressure from Oliver, Greg and her rival, Tara, Katie insists she\u2019s going to plan the Spring Gala her way. After Oliver is emasculated by his ex-girlfriend, Greg attempts to teach Oliver how to \u201cman up\u201d by throwing a successful barbeque."
"Katie struggles with Taylor and Anna-Kat\u2019s defiance, as Anna-Kat decides she\u2019s now a vegetarian (under the influence of Tara Summers) and Taylor dies her hair blonde without Katie\u2019s permission. Greg and Katie help Oliver come to terms with embarrassment after Oliver has a humiliating moment in ballet class."
"When Anna-Kat brings home a lice infestation, Katie uses it to force bonding time with Taylor. Greg attempts to bond with Oliver (and avoid lice) by camping in the backyard, but Greg becomes concerned when Oliver keeps ditching their campout to be with their new sleazy neighbor named Spencer."
"Westport is known for its Halloween tradition of leaving an anonymous note and goodies on a neighbor\u2019s doorstep (called a \u201cBoo\u201d). Katie tries to play it cool but is absolutely giddy when the Ottos receive their first \u201cBoo.\u201d"
"Greg plays dirty to convince Katie to let them keep Anna-Kat's beloved pet pig; Oliver and Viv compete for the attention of a new neighbor; Taylor considers leaving her boyfriend."
"Greg makes big plans to impress his parents when they visit for Thanksgiving; but his vision is shattered when his neighbor Spencer and Katie\u2019s mom, Kathryn, arrive unannounced and nothing goes as intended."
"After failing to get donations on her own terms, Katie gives in to the dark side and teams up with Oliver to bribe rich Westport families to donate big-ticket items for the spring gala. Greg decides to take Taylor and Anna-Kat to a Revolutionary War reenactment which Taylor finds lame until she starts a revolution of her own."
"After feeling like their whole world and all of their conversations revolve around kids, Greg and Katie are ecstatic to meet new friends Zach and Courtney, a couple without children. Meanwhile, Anna-Kat coerces Taylor and Oliver into helping her with a storytelling project, which turns out to be a little more grisly than anticipated."
"When Doris goes into labor and Katie heads to the hospital to be with her, the Ottos struggle to be in the same place at the same time in order to open their Christmas presents together, as is the Otto family tradition. Meanwhile, Taylor coaches Oliver on the best way to ask out a crush, starting with the gift shop clerk."
"Taylor enlists Oliver to help her carry out a scheme so she can ditch her less cool friend Ellen and go to a concert with her \"blondetourage.\" Meanwhile, Katie is devastated when Anna-Kat doesn't need her as much anymore, which causes Katie to make some poor and desperate parenting decisions."
"Katie is worried that the launch of Greg's new book might go poorly, so she enlists Angela and Doris to write positive reviews; when the book unexpectedly does exceedingly well, Greg buys a new car without consulting Katie."
"Katie and Greg dislike Taylor's new boyfriend, so they attempt to use reverse psychology to drive a wedge between them, which later backfires. After Spencer's over-the-top vision for Oliver's first date with a girl from his ballet class bombs, Greg helps Oliver make up for it with a romantic gesture."
"Katie takes Oliver out of school for a day to help loosen him up after Oliver suffers from a meltdown about something minor. Meanwhile, Anna-Kat takes Greg to the park to help him make new friends."
"After feeling unappreciated by Greg and the kids, Katie ditches her family for a day at her favorite hideaway spot and leaves Viv in charge of the household. Viv takes this as an opportunity to see if she really is mom material."
"Katie wants to prove to the Westport moms that she is fully capable of competing at Field Day at Anna-Kat\u2019s school, but she ends up taking the competition a little too seriously. Greg enlists Taylor\u2019s boyfriend, Trip, to help him make the family recipe for chili in a local competition, which makes Taylor and Oliver jealous."
"The Otto children are beginning to experience struggles in their love lives after jumping into the dating world: Oliver is forced to choose between his girlfriend and his friend Cooper who come from two different worlds; Greg must play the \u201cbad cop parent\u201d to halt the PDA between Taylor and Trip; and Anna-Kat tries to make her relationship with Franklin official, without his consent."
"Katie enlists Angela's legal help to convince Chloe Brown Mueller to sign off on the venue for the Spring Gala, but Angela ends up cozying up to Chloe instead."
"Katie and Greg struggle to help the kids accept loss as a family friend suddenly passes away and as their pet pig, Hans Gruber, must be returned to his natural habitat."
"After the passing of a family friend, the Ottos all react differently to the allotment of the deceased's inheritance."
"Katie and Greg struggle to resist the urge to micromanage as their children navigate life choices, such as landing your first job, picking out friends and managing homework."
"When Katie starts her day in a bad mood, the Ottos come together to cheer her up; but in an alternate reality and in a different sweater, Katie starts her day in a good mood and the family comes together to cheer up Greg."
"In order to impress the other moms at school, Katie, Taylor and Oliver travel to New York to track down Nathan Fillion at a \"Firefly\" convention, so Katie can convince him to attend the school's spring gala."
"When things start to fall apart at the last minute, Katie figures out a new way to make the spring gala a success. Meanwhile, Greg attempts to be a \"fun dad\" and winds up adopting a dog while Katie is occupied with the gala."
Season 3 - American Housewife
"After spending years as a full-time mom, Katie goes back to work as a party planner, which brings new challenges of balancing home and work life into the mix."
"With her new job taking up more of her time, Katie and Greg try to split up parenting duties. Katie over-involves herself in Taylor's social life by trying to keep some distance between Taylor and her boyfriend, Trip, to make sure Taylor is her own person aside from him. Meanwhile, Greg tries to convince Oliver to be honest after overhearing Oliver lie to his friends about his less-than-luxurious summer vacation."
"When Katie's mom, Kathryn, comes to town, Katie and Kathryn encourage the kids to make less than favorable decisions: Oliver cheats in shop class and Katie helps him try to get out of it, while Kathryn reassures Taylor that she doesn't need to go to college."
"Anna-Kat runs for the Green Chair position in the school election against Chloe Brown Mueller\u2019s daughter, which results in Katie and Chloe turning their kids\u2019 election into a feud of their own. Meanwhile, Greg becomes concerned that Taylor\u2019s new friend Pierce is trying to steal her away from Trip, causing Greg to intervene and scheme to prevent it."
"When Taylor decides she wants to go to a Halloween party, Greg and Katie disagree on whether or not Taylor can be trusted. Oliver and Cooper anxiously try to prepare for playing a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven with their dates at a separate Halloween event. A pregnant Viv follows Katie around, trying to get help preparing for her baby before it arrives."
"After the previous \u201cfattest housewife\u201d in Westport gets plastic surgery to lose weight, Chloe Brown Mueller rubs it in Katie\u2019s face that Katie has now assumed that title. In order to get revenge on Chloe, Katie goes through great lengths to dig up bad photos of Chloe from high school."
"After discovering that the four digit pin code the Otto family uses for everything spells out Greg\u2019s ex-girlfriend\u2019s name, Katie gets upset and retaliates by dragging out old gifts from past boyfriends. Meanwhile, the kids\u2019 current love lives take a hit as Taylor and Trip argue over her relationship with Pierce; and Oliver and Gina\u2019s relationship goes south when they both apply for a ballet scholarship that only one of them gets."
"Katie lands the perfect pawn to play on the insecurities of the Westport housewives when she convinces a hot young trophy wife named Harper to volunteer as room mom for Anna-Kat\u2019s class, but she quickly shifts gears when Harper rejects Anna-Kat\u2019s idea for movie night. Meanwhile, Greg enlists the help of the kids to get Katie\u2019s mom, Kathryn, to take an interest in someone other than herself."
"As Oliver and Taylor stumble through their love lives, Katie begins to miss the spontaneity and unpredictability of being young and in love. Meanwhile, Kathryn\u2019s plan to soothe Oliver\u2019s heartbreak backfires when she tracks down an old boyfriend, Dan, and he is not as she remembers. At the same time, Anna-Kat makes strides at school when Franklin is stuck at home with the chickenpox, forcing her to make a new friend."
"Katie strives to keep her long-separated parents apart when her father, Marty, arrives in time to surprise the Otto family for Christmas. Anna-Kat does her best to help Trip win Taylor back but has a hard time getting past a very persistent Pierce. Meanwhile, Oliver thinks no one will remember him as the mask-wearing villain in the school\u2019s production of \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d but quickly takes center stage when a series of mishaps damages his costume."
"Greg\u2019s insistence on doing the family\u2019s taxes prompts Katie to take matters into her own hands. Meanwhile, Oliver and Anna-Kat join forces in an attempt to win a popular radio contest; and when Taylor finally sees Pierce\u2019s true colors, the family bands together to help her pull off an over-the-top apology for Trip."
"Katie plans a \u201cfriend date\u201d in hopes of reconnecting with Taylor and encourages Greg to attend self-help guru Johnny Diamond\u2019s seminar with Oliver. Meanwhile, Anna-Kat takes extreme measures to secure her place as Katie\u2019s favorite child."
"After coming to terms with the fact that she must share her work bonus with Greg, Katie encourages him to live a little and the two decide to splurge on an overnight getaway. Meanwhile, Oliver\u2019s attempt at a rebellious streak ends in disaster; and after letting Anna-Kat down, Taylor comes to the realization that she needs to step up and be a better big sister."
"Viv asks Katie to take Violet for the night so she and Alan can discuss reconciling but is caught off guard when Greg is hit with a bout of baby fever. Meanwhile, Taylor tricks Oliver into helping her when Luther eats an expensive pair of earrings."
"While Greg enlists Oliver and Anna-Kat\u2019s help to drum up new recruits for the Westport Historical Guild, Katie does her best to support Taylor\u2019s dreams of becoming the next American Idol."
"Katie feels left out and slightly jealous when Greg becomes fast friends with the newest member of the Westport Historical Guild. Meanwhile, Oliver fears Cooper is ditching him when he sees on social media that Cooper lied about his weekend plans."
"When Katie forgets Greg\u2019s birthday, she attempts to make up for it by pulling together a last-minute dinner party; but when the evening falls flat, Katie gets caught up in a series of lies, leading her friends to believe that she and Greg are in marriage counseling."
"In order to avoid buying Anna-Kat a cellphone, Katie makes a pact with the girls that she and Taylor can go an entire day without using their phones. Meanwhile, disappointed with Greg\u2019s advice, Oliver seeks the guidance of an old friend."
"When Katie gets sick, Greg enlists Kathryn's help in taking care of the kids, but Kathryn leaves the kids to fend for themselves while she entertains an old high school boyfriend. Meanwhile, Taylor gets a taste of her own medicine when she tries to help an unruly Katie."
"Fearing she\u2019s spending too much time at the office and away from the family, Katie volunteers to chaperone Anna-Kat\u2019s school field trip to make up for lost time. Meanwhile, Greg takes a creative approach to parenting when he catches Taylor and Oliver in a lie."
"Much to Katie\u2019s dismay, Anna-Kat becomes best friends with Chloe Brown Mueller\u2019s daughter, Penny. When Katie takes extreme measures to avoid Chloe and keep the girls apart, Anna-Kat and Penny are forced to take matters into their own hands. Meanwhile, Greg encourages Oliver to be honest with his girlfriend and not hide his passion for ballet."
"With the kids away at the school dance, Katie and Greg look forward to a romantic evening alone; but Anna-Kat is crushed when the boy she likes doesn\u2019t ask her to the dance, and Oliver begins to panic when the town psychic\u2019s predictions begin to come true."
"Frustrated by the lack of appreciation for all she does, Katie decides to go \u201cfull Westport\u201d and leaves the family to fend for themselves. Katie\u2019s plan quickly backfires when the kids seem to be doing just fine, leaving Greg to suffer the brunt of her absence."
Season 4 - American Housewife
"As the Otto family ushers in a new era, Katie and Greg make the emotional decision to sell the family minivan; Daniel suffers a setback that forces him to rethink how to accomplish his goals."
"Katie's life is turned upside down when her notoriously elusive boss Whitney pops into town and promotes Katie; a colleague's death pushes Greg toward an existential crisis."
"When Anna-Kat's school lunch lady refuses to make simple eco-friendly changes in the school cafeteria, Greg puts on a show highlighting the importance of recycling with his friend and fellow environmentalist Bill Doty."
"Greg hosts a meeting for the Westport Historical Guild to welcome back Stan, and Katie\u2019s homemade lasagna is a huge hit with the guys. After Stan makes several trips back for seconds and begins spending an inordinate amount of time at the Otto house, Chloe Brown Mueller becomes convinced that Katie and Stan must be having an extra-marital affair. Meanwhile, Angela and Doris step in to help Oliver with his Teen Help Line."
"Katie ignores Greg's warning and takes Anna-Kat through a terrifying zombie-themed maze at the annual Halloween carnival. Once inside, Katie quickly regrets her decision and sends Anna-Kat to find help. Meanwhile, Greg has entered a pumpkin carving contest and is ready to go head-to-head against the previous year's winners."
"With Katie\u2019s 40th birthday fast approaching, her self-esteem starts to wane. So Greg encourages her to go out and enjoy a night on the town with the girls, even suggesting she leave her wedding ring behind for a night of faux-single, silly fun. Meanwhile, Angela receives devastating news that will turn Doris\u2019 life upside down. While Katie is away, Greg enlists the kids\u2019 help to create a birthday present that is a heartfelt reminder of how much she is loved."
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Period of Adjustment
by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson
- April 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 & 12 2008
- 8PM, except Sunday, April 6 at 2PM
- The Studio Theatre, Public Affairs Center (PAC) Level 1, UIS Campus
- Photo Gallery
- Sunday, February 10, 7PM-10PM
- Monday, February 11, 7PM-10PM
- The Studio Theatre, Public Affairs Center (PAC) Level 1, UIS Campus
- Tuesday, February 12, 7PM-10PM
- The Studio Theatre, Public Affairs Center (PAC) Level 1, UIS Campus
Play Description
Seriocomedy, Full Length
(Info from Dramatists Play Service, Inc.)
Cast: 4 men, 5 women: 9 total
Setting: INTERIOR
The first full-length comedy by the playwright whom many consider to be the finest of our times. "It is, quite simply, a resounding success. It has warmth and wisdom, and hilarious good humor…" -NY Journal-American. "There are lines that sparkle with freshness of insight. There are scenes that erupt with laughter. There are affecting passages of barely articulated tenderness." -NY Times. "It's a believable evening, it's probably even a wise one. And the heart, which the author has plainly got, is wonderfully protected by humor." -NY Herald-Tribune.
The Story
As described in the NY Times: "Mr. Williams is telling the story of two marriages at points of acute crisis. One couple has just broken up after five years together. The other has not been able to come to terms in one day of wedlock. Both couples are living through a period of adjustment. The phrase is tinged with irony. The play examines the sources of the crisis. Ralph Bates, a former war hero, has in-law trouble. George Haverstick, a war buddy who unexpectedly visits him on Christmas Eve with his bride of a day, has the shakes; his difficulty seems to be a fear of impotence. The end is happy, as comedy requires. The four go to bed-in the right combinations." In calling his play a "serious comedy," Mr. Williams puts his finger on its most unique aspect, for this is a work which combines a humorous viewpoint with deep-seated concern for a very real, human situation.


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Party Supplies Horror
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Horror, Blood and Gore Costumes, Decor and Party Supplies
Horror is such a big and popular theme category it's difficult to know where to start! This area is perfect obviously for Halloween, but also for horror themed birthday parties and any event where you might need a spookier look than normal! Compared to the Halloween theme category, horror is a bit gorier and more terrifying, and is definitely not for the feint of heart! But if you're willing to push the envelope and perhaps scare the pants off your friends, you've come to the right place.
We have horror themed costumes to suit most anyone, no matter your size, age, gender, or budget. You can dress up as a classic character of the horror genre, such as witches, monsters, zombies, skeletons, demons, ghosts, vampires, serial killers, and oh so much more! Many of these costumes are available in both adult and kids sizes. Don't forget we also have plenty of matching accessories, such as weapons, makeup, hats, gloves, prosthetics, and so forth.
We also have a ton of great outfits available if you're after a costume of a specific famous character! Why not go as Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Frankenstein, Ghostface, or one of the zombies from the Walking Dead? The options are almost endless! Grab your matching props and accessories and you'll be ready to spook the pants off people in no time. We even have plenty of horrifying animated props and party supplies to decorate your home or other haunted venue to match the scary theme! Pick up your items today and get ready to scream!


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SHOP BY CATEGORYBack to all SmartyPants
If taking your vitamins feels like a chore (or you're struggling to ensure your little one enjoys a diet rich in nutrients), it might be time to change up your vitamin game. But there's good news! SmartyPants makes taking your vitamins easy. The smart-thinking supplement brand offers premium daily vitamins made with non-GMO, eco-friendly ingredients. What's even cooler is that these high-quality vitamins come in the form of super tasty, and unquestionably fun gummies. Loaded with ingredients like omegas, fiber, and vitamins D3 and B12 SmartyPants vitamins are also free of synthetic colors, artificial flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. Who knew taking your vitamins could be so much fun?
The History of SmartyPants
SmartyPants got its start in 2009 when former technology startup executive, Courtney Nichols, got back in touch with a former acquaintance, Gordon Gould, to join forces on an exciting new project. As co-CEOs of the Marina Del-Rey, California-based startup, the two were dedicated to creating a gummy vitamin company made with premium ingredients and free of synthetic colors, artificial colors, or sweeteners. However, it wasn't long before the two decided to launch another venture together as well: they were married in 2011.
SmartyPants Company Mission
SmartyPants is on a mission to simplify health by using premium, thoughtfully-selected nutrients, and combining them in a delicious gummy vitamin. The brand believes that a multivitamin should be as comprehensive as possible, which is why SmartyPants focuses on the nutrients that tend to be the toughest for people to acquire from their diet on a consistent basis. The hope is that SmartyPants customers never forget to take their vitamins again!
Benefits of SmartyPants
All SmartyPants products are non-GMO, allergen-free, and made with eco-friendly ingredients. They contain no synthetic colors or artificial flavors or sweeteners, and each batch is third-party lab tested for purity and potency. The brand also works to uphold the following three core values:
- Transparency: SmartyPants believes that everyone should know exactly what goes into their vitamins so the brand works overtime to provide as much information as possible when it comes to ingredient sourcing, safety, and purity standards.
- Excellence: SmartyPants uses only the best, most well-researched nutrients available and delivers them in a way that's easiest for your body to absorb, making it cost effective as well.
- Transformation: The innovative brand continues to focus on and develop its team members and encourage them to push their boundaries so the brand can always benefit from their insight and expertise.
Top SmartyPants Products
Upgrade your wellness routine with these brand favorites.
Adult Complete Gummies
Enjoy your daily dose of vitamins A, D, C, and 150 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids thanks to these delicious gummies, made with high-quality ingredients in a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-certified facility, then tested by a third-party in an independent lab.
Toddler Formula
Need a quick fix for making sure your picky little one gets his/her nutrients? Formulated for 2- and 3-year-olds, these toddler-friendly, allergen-free gummies are also free from synthetic colors, artificial flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives.
Kids Complete Gummies With Multivitamin
Designed for children ages 3 and up, these fortified vitamins are made without artificial flavors or high-fructose corn syrup and conveniently deliver vitamin D, omega 3s, and more key nutrients for a balanced diet.
Find More Healthy Living Tips
Check out the Thrive Market blog!
How a Well-Stocked Pantry Can Help You Detox
If you want to eat clean, you need the right tools. That starts with a well-curated pantry filled with nourishing staples. Here's how to give your kitchen a detoxifying makeover for an overall wellness boost.
Best Natural and Organic Baby Products
Oh baby, have you hit the motherload when it comes to organic brands for your little on! We've rounded up our favorite nature-based formula, cereal, diapers, wipes, and bathtime essentials so you know you're giving your baby the best.
Flaxseed Oil vs. Fish Oil
You could say we have a thing for omegas. We're breaking down the info behind two of your favorite omega-loaded essentials, flaxseed oil and fish oil, so you can learn the facts behind these healthy fats.


text: Notary Bulletin Oaths Vs. Affirmations: Know The Difference By NNA Staff on September 11, 2012 in Best Practices, Healthcare Professionals When executing a jurat, some signers' personal beliefs may cause them to object to swearing an oath of truthfulness to a higher power. In these circumstances, the signer may make an alternative promise called an affirmation instead. An affirmation is a promise to be truthful based on the signer's personal honor. Oaths and affirmations have the same legal effect, and either is acceptable when you are performing a jurat. Many Notaries aren't aware of the option to administer affirmations during a jurat — in a recent Notary Bulletin quiz, more than half of respondents were unable to correctly identify the definition of an affirmation. Understanding the difference will help you be prepared to administer either during the jurat in order to accommodate the signer's personal preferences. When executing a jurat, you may ask if the signer prefers to take an oath or affirmation. If the signer doesn't know the difference, you may describe it, but let the signer choose which one to take. Just as with an oath, when administering an affirmation have the signer raise his or her right hand or make another appropriate gesture to indicate the gravity of the promise. The signer then speaks the affirmation aloud, promising on his or her personal honor that the contents of the document being notarized are true. Email Share 1 Comment Add your commentTracy20 Mar 2020just looking for informationLeave a Comment Required * Name * Email *(for verfication purposes only) Comment * Enter the text shown in this image *(text is case sensitive)All comments are reviewed and if approved, will display.


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How Hubble got its wings
More than any other space mission, the Hubble Space Telescope changed the way people see the Universe. Now, after two decades of remarkable imagery, the Hubble IMAX movie has turned a high-resolution camera onto the orbital observatory itself, sharing a remarkable astronaut's-eye-view of Hubble with audiences worldwide.
1. ESA signs on to solar array duty
So how did ESA get its logo onto Hubble's hull in the first place? In 1977, the same year the US Congress approved project funding, NASA and ESA made an agreement.
In what turned out to be a good bargain, the Agency gained 15% of the telescope's observing time, and access to the complete mission data archive, in return for contributing a science instrument (the Faint Object Camera), designing and building Hubble's solar array and providing engineering support throughout the mission's operational life.
That latter assignment might sound like a simple-enough task. After all, just about all satellites are equipped with solar arrays, converting sunlight into their lifeblood of electric current.
But Hubble presented some very special engineering challenges. To begin with, these solar arrays needed to be taken back to Earth, afterwards. This presented a valuable technical opportunity, to find out first-hand how orbital hardware would endure orbital conditions – but the arrays would have to be very specifically designed.
2. Designing roller blinds for space
"The original plan was for the Shuttle to make maintenance visits every 2.5 years and the entire telescope to return to Earth for major overhauls every five years," said Lothar Gerlach, ESA Project Manager for the Hubble Solar Arrays, who has been working on the project in one capacity or another for 30 years. "That was quickly dropped, but the idea of in-orbit replacements remained."
Standard missions used rigid solar arrays that unfolded in orbit, but the Hubble arrays ended up more like roller blinds, with a pair of flexible blankets covered with solar panels on each side of the satellite.
"The blankets needed to be flexible because they had to fit between the round hull of the telescope and the round Shuttle cargo bay," added Lothar.
"We were faced with an exceptionally tough volume restriction. That meant we also needed solar cells that didn't break when they were rolled up.
"The blankets also needed to be retractable, to be rolled back up and brought down to Earth again."
3. Challenges of flying low
The other main challenge was Hubble's place of operations: low orbit, around 600 km up. "It's a very dynamic thermal environment, with the Sun rising and setting every 96 minutes," said Lothar.
"And each time the temperatures shift from plus to minus 100ºC between sunlight and shadow."
The arrays needed to stand up to around 30 000 thermal cycles over their five-year lifetime – a design life which in those days was an extremely ambitious target.
Imagine switching standard roller blinds between a cooker and a deep freeze 16 times a day. These environmental extremes meant that while the blankets needed to be flexible, they also had to be kept taut by special booms, to prevent thermal shock deforming them over time and compromising the functioning of the arrays, required to deliver 4 kW of power.
4. Shuttle findings put arrays back to drawing board
Two sets of solar arrays had been contracted – overseen by British Aerospace in Bristol with contractors in Germany, Switzerland and Denmark – along with their electronics and Solar Array Drive Mechanisms.
Work proceeded at the same time as the very first Space Shuttle flights, with what was then high-efficiency 12.7% silicon solar cells interconnected with silver mesh strips, which were embedded between a layer of protective Kapton material and reinforced by glass-fibre cloth.
But suddenly those same pioneering Shuttle flights sent European designers back to the drawing board.
"Everybody was shocked when the first Shuttle came back with severely eroded thermal blankets," explained Lothar. "The culprit was atomic oxygen: highly reactive, individual oxygen atoms found at the top of the atmosphere."
"We needed to find out if our design could stand up to atomic oxygen, so material samples were flown on the Shuttle flights that followed. The results were far from good.
"We'd worked so hard to find the right parameters for solar cell interconnections, only to find out that the silver and Kapton we relied on would have been eroded away completely inside a few weeks.
"There was no easy fix – we had to start again. This was the point when I first found myself working for Hubble."
The redesigned solar blankets used molybdenum-based interconnectors, which were oxygen safe, while the Kapton was protected by a silicone coating.
On other parts of the array, such as the primary deployment arm, exposed Kapton was replaced by polytetrafluoroethylene foil. On the plus side, the designers incorporated newer 14%-efficiency solar cells into the updated design.
5. Hubble gets the shakes
After a long delay owing to a broad range of technical and budget issues, then elongated by the 1986 Challenger disaster, the Hubble Space Telescope was finally launched on 24 April 1990.
Within a matter of weeks it became apparent that all was not well with the fledgling mission. Besides the famous 'astigmatism' due to a slight mirror error, the observatory experienced about 10 seconds of jitters each time it passed between night and day plus some randomly occurring disturbances caused by a failed compensator mechanism, sufficient enough to affect Hubble's very-high angular resolution imaging.
This meant for example, that what would later became Hubble's signature long-duration ultra deep field observations would have been severely impacted, if not impossible.
"Hubble's solar arrays were flexing every time they passed through the day-night terminator," explained Lothar. "The disturbance torque was not really bad, but above the maximum allowable momentum of 0.007 Newton metres.
"At that time, 25 years ago, we had not had precise-enough test equipment or the size of vacuum chambers needed to verify this requirement on the ground.
"It turned out to be due to the bi-stem booms used to deploy and tension the arrays. These are made from a pair of circularised steel sheets which fit together in a C-shape to form a cylindrical boom.
"Because they were overlapping each other we expected them to basically have the same temperature, but when one side was in sunlight and one in shadow the thermal contact was poor and they expanded at differential rates, clicking against each other like little earthquakes.
"In addition, we saw a failure on one array of a compensation mechanism used to adjust for temperature-driven flexing when part of the array fell into shadow."
This article continues...


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Dates to Remember
Feb 2nd: Groundhog Day.
Feb 14th: Valentine's Day. Friendship Celebration.
Feb 17th: National Random Acts of Kindness Day.
Feb 17th: Family Workshop.
Feb 20th: President's Day. Center CLOSED Staff In-Service Day
Feb 21st: Lee County Schools Closed, Center open.
Be Sure to check out our Facebook page!
Joseph H. Messina Children's Center News
Family Workshop
Best Drinks for Families
Join us for our February Parent Workshop in our initiative to bring healthy foods and lifestyles to parents. These 15 minute cycle workshops enable parents to attend, receive valuable information and still get home in time for dinner. We encourage all of our parents to attend to help us help you become a healthy and active family. We will have samples of tasty, healthy snacks, prepared by the School Age children in the Care Club. Parents may enjoy their delicious snack during the 15 minute training on February 17th from 5:30-6:30PM.
Fire Department Visit
February 17th The Fort Myers Fire Department will be joining the 4 year old children in the Lion Classroom for a tour of the fire truck and fire safety tips at 10:00 am. The firemen will join the children for party afterwards. Parents are invited to join us.
VPK to Kindergarten
School Choice is now open for VPK children eligible for Kindergarten this fall. Your child's teachers have probably already talked to you about this transition and what needs to be done. Be sure to ask if you have questions. We are here to help!
Monday, February 20th Our center will be CLOSED for our Annual In-Service Day.
In honor of President's day we've put together few fun facts about presidents:
Friendship Celebration
What Random Act of Kindness will you do?
Friday, February 17th If you show a little kindness to others it will inspire people to practice kindness and to pass it on to others. Here are some ideas on how to be kind to others:
Child Care of Southwest Florida 6831 Palisades Park Ct. Suite 6 Fort Myers, Florida 33912 You received this email because your child is enrolled at one of the Child Care Centers of Southwest Florida. Our 6 locations: The Children's Learning Center at FSW | Joseph H. Messina Child Care Center | P.A. Geraci Development Center | The Community Children's Center | Children's Garden of LaBelle | Harlem Academy Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails


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Zecco Trading Review (Now TradeKing): Trading Experience, Account Opening Process
By Sun
- Discount Stock Broker:
- Zecco Trading
- Rating:
- 3
Zecco Trading, now part of TradeKing, is an online discount stock broker that lets you trade stocks and ETFs for $4.95 per trade. It offers both web trading platform and mobile app so you make a trade on the go.
Zecco Trading is one of the popular online discount stock broker since early 2006. Since its launch, Zecco has gone through several major overhauls in the past 5 years, going from being a completely commission-fee broker from which it got its name to a broker just like every other one in the industry that charges a fee for every transaction. In early 2012, Zecco Trading and TradeKing merged, ending its history as an independent company. The integration process is still underway as of now, you are still be able to open an account with Zecco. If that's what you choose to do, I will share in the following my experience with Zecco and show the process of how to open a brokerage account with Zecco Trading.
How to Open a Zecco Brokerage Account
Opening a Zecco brokerage account is quite simple and can be completed online in just a few minutes with no paper application involved. Since Zecco offers multiple types of accounts, you will need to choose the account you want to have at the beginning of the application process, including regular brokerage account (joint or individual) and retirement account (Roth, Traditional or Rollover IRA accounts). If you plan to use Zecco for your investment outside retirement, then you will select a regular broker account.
Once you select an account type, the reset of the application is rather routine, such as providing your name, address, SSN, employment status, income, investment purpose, the amount of investable assets, and bank info, etc. The bank information is for establishing ACH link between Zecco brokerage account and an external bank account such that you are able to fund your Zecco account with ACH transfer. After the application is completed, an account number will be generated for you before you can access your newly opened account, and that process could take from a few moments to up to 3 hours. So you will need to wait a little bit before accessing your account online.
Once the new account becomes available, the first thing you may want to do is setup an external ACH account so that you can transfer money to Zecco using the bank account info entered during account opening. To initiate the ACH process, which is a little bit tricky, you need to type in your account number in the For Account and use the Request Now button to set up external ACH link, which can be either your checking account or savings account. I recommend using a checking account because savings accounts usually have withdrawal limit (6 per month) and if you go over the limit, you are likely to be charged with a fee.
After an external ACH bank link is established, you will be able to verify your ownership of the external bank account by confirming two small deposits that are deposited Zecco made into your bank account. Once the account is verified, you can proceed with fund transfer, which will be done next day. After the fund is settled in a couple of days, you can start trading stocks or ETFs or options through Zecco online trading platform. That's it. Quite simple, isn't it?
Zecco Trading Experience
Zecco actually has multiple platforms for investors to trade stocks. In addition to its web interface, customers of Zecco can also trade stocks via Zecco Mobile App, Zap Trade and even directly from Facebook.
The web trading interface is shown in the above picture (click to enlarge). Honestly, this is probably the simplest interface I have ever used (so far I have used Scottrade, Firstrade, ShareBuilder, and Fidelity and all are much better than Zecco in terms of providing an user friendly trading interface). Even the stock chart looks very amateur (they offer Advanced Chart option, but it's from BigCharts.com instead of their own).
The first stock I bought several years ago was Xinhua Finance Media (XFML), which was hit hard recently due to various issues related to whether the company intentionally hided information in their IPO filings. After entering all the necessary information such as stock symbol, transaction type, quantity, and order type, I can review the order one more time before submitting it for execution. Then something unexpected happened after I hit the SEND ORDER button. My order was rejected!
At the bottom of the page, it gave me the reason of rejection as "Only orders that liquidate positions are allowed." Liquidate positions? I am buying not selling, plus I don't even have a position yet. I can't believe there's such a trouble buying a stock (hopefully selling stocks will be easy from what's happening now ). After trying a couple of more times and getting exactly the same result, I decided to give Zecco a call to see what caused the problem. All they told me was to log out and re-enter my account and, surprisingly, it worked!
Overall, I wasn't very impressed by their website and their trading interface, though the order was executed almost instantly (at least for this order) and it was indeed free. I feel that I can use some improvements of their website:
- I am bothered a lot by having to enter my account number every time when I do anything related to ACH.
- It took me 5 days to complete the first ACH transfer, that's much longer than with other brokerages.
- A gain tracking tool will be convenient.
About the first item, I actually brought it up to the CSR the night before when I called to ask the status of my ACH transfer. The reason he gave me was it's for security reason. For what security reason? The account number is displayed right there after logging into my Zecco account as it is used as user name to enter the trading account. After I complained that it's not convenient to have to manually enter the account number every time, the CSR sounded inpatient and told me if I have any suggestions on how they should design their website, I should send them an email, which obviously isn't convenient.
Zecco Zap Trade Plug In
Zap Trade is a Firefox plug-in that lets Zecco customers get quotes and trade stocks anywhere on the web.
After downloading and installing the add-on for Firefox browser, a Zap Trade icon will appear in the browser's status bar. If you are a Zecco customer, you can click on the icon to enter your user name and password to log into your account. Zap Trade can then detects stock symbols in financial websites such as Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, MarketWatch, Blookberg, etc and let users to trade the stock without having to got to Zecco website.
Once Zap Trade is running, it turns the background of stock symbols on web page into pinkish color and an icon will appear on the right when mouse-over the symbol, indicating that trading of that stock is supported.
If you click the icon, a Zecco Zap Trade window popped up to let me enter order information. The stock symbol and transaction (Buy) are pre-populated. All you need to do next is put in are quantity, order type, etc. The pop-up window also shows real-time quote of the stock, as well as fund available in the account for trade. From the Zap Trade window, you can also refresh the screen to get updated quote.
Before submitting the order, you will have a chance to preview it from the Zap Trade window to make sure the order is correct. The final step of trading stock from Zap Trade is submit the order for processing.
Zecco Trading Summary
Finally, here's a quick summary of what you will get from Zecoo if you decide to open a trading account with Zecco:
- $4.95 per trade, still a very competitive rate among discount brokers;
- Trade stock anywhere on the web with Zecco Zap Trade, a very helpful tool;
- Free dividend reinvestment;
- ACH fund transfer;
- Zecco Streamer Lite provides real-time BATS quotes;
- Reimburse account transfer fee charged by other brokers up to $150 when transferring account to Zecco;
- Also offers Forex trading with occasional promotions;
- Free practice Forex trading account;
- Free alerts and breaking news via Twitter and email;
- Share investing experience with fellow Zecco customers at Zecco Share Online Community;
Overall, Zecco Trading is one of the best online low-cost discount brokers which can save small investors a significant amount of trading cost, especially those who trade very often. Buying and selling, which will cost investors $10 for each non-transaction fee mutual fund investment, is quite affordable too since most discount brokers usually charge more than $15 for NTF funds. If you are looking for a cheap stock brokers to trade stocks or ETFs, then Zecco could be a nice choice.
- $4.95 per trade
- editor rating3
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Dolphin deaths surpass 160 in Va.; most since 1980s
The number of mysterious dolphin deaths has increased to more than 160.
Media outlets report additional dolphins were found along Virginia's coast on Monday. That put the deaths in August at more than 70 - more than the annual average.
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center reports that 25 dolphin corpses were recovered on Friday and Saturday. Stranded dolphins are turning up in other states on the East Coast.
It's the deadliest period for the sea mammals since a virus killed off more than 700 in the late 1980s.
Scientists are struggling to find the cause of the deaths. It isn't clear whether an infectious disease is causing the deaths, but scientists are warning those who find a stranded dolphin to stay away from it and contact authorities.


text: The Best Dressed Trick or Treaters (and Pets) The Halloween tradition of Trick or Treating is upon us. Have fun with the candy, kids, friends, and even pets when you make the rounds this year. You can't go wrong with this décor and costume ideas for a spooky night. Throw the Best Adult Halloween Party Ever! Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I'm the go-to girl for Halloween parties. I'm sharing some of my favorite tips and tricks to help you have the best adult Halloween party ever! Fall is My Favorite Season It's time for everything PUMPKIN, including great Fall décor and a bonus Pumpkin Spice Syrup recipe you're sure to love using in drinks and sweets all season long.


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Entertainment Takes Center Stage on Bing
Jun 23, 2010 11:56 AM PT
Microsoft has introduced several changes to the design and content of its entertainment results on Bing, including ways to link searches to the content they're looking for more directly.
The changes are ultimately intended to make this portion of its search engine far stickier. That, of course, is hardly the traditional goal of a search engine, which by definition serves as a temporary conduit between content and consumer.
However, creating stickiness -- and possibly some new revenue streams -- appears to be the strategy that Microsoft has adopted with Bing as it continues to build incremental traffic, explained Rick Munarriz, senior technology analyst at The Motley Fool.
"The overall impression of the changes is that this is very much an AOLish move on Microsoft's part," he told the E-Commerce Times, referring to AOL's portal-like approach to the Internet.
In short, Bing wants users to view its Entertainment section as a trusted source to find information about movies, TV shows, music or casual games, as well as a spot to watch, play or listen to that content, according to Yusuf Mehdi, Bing's senior vice president. Search queries recognized as titles of popular entertainment content will result in ways to listen to streamed music or watch previews.
Bing has added an e-commerce element to many of these new features, giving consumers the ability to purchase the content they have found on the page from providers both inside and outside of Microsoft.
What It Offers
For example, Bing has added a lyrics search feature and the ability to listen to full-length song streaming for more than 5 million songs through Microsoft's Zune music service.
Consumers get a single play of every song in the catalog. "When it's time to buy, we'll offer you the ability to purchase and download songs from Zune, iTunes and Amazon.com MP3," according to Mehdi.
The page also now offers detailed information on more than 35,000 games, including reviews, cheats and walkthroughs. Nearly 100 popular casual games can be played within Bing along with social features that allow players to invite friends to the game.
The page has also gathered a collection of 1,500 full-length TV episodes to watch online. For movie lovers, it offers up reviews and real-time Twitter and Facebook sentiments. For those who want to catch a show in a theater, it offers traffic information as well as directions, nearby restaurants and parking information from Bing Maps.
"It's the four horsemen of entertainment," The Motley Fool's Munarriz commented.
That Bing would move to a portal approach so early in its development is interesting but also a reality of the marketplace, he said.
Bing is never going to catch up with Google barring some completely unforeseen development with Google, Munarriz noted. "Bing has been positioning itself as a catch-all for search content from the beginning and now is developing this model even more."
The move might also help with advertising revenues, he added, as such content tends to favor display advertising.
Been There, Seen That?
In many ways this move to a portal model is a replay of what Yahoo attempted when it lost its lead in the search market to Google several years ago, said Stephen Woessner, business education outreach coordinator at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse Small Business Development Center.
Google's response was to maintain a relentless focus on providing the best search platform, which is why Google still owns the majority of the search market, he said. "If Bing wants to displace Google in the search market, they need to focus on being the best search engine and not a multimedia company. And search is what powers the advertising model."


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The U.S. government has filed suit against Canton-based TAB Construction Co. for allegedly falsifying information to gain government contracts.
The U.S. government has filed a lawsuit against Canton-based TAB Construction Co. and the company's owner, William "Buster" Richardson, accusing them of falsifying information to gain government contracts.
In a complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court, the government alleges that TAB lied about its location in order to gain HUBZone certification.
Using that certification, TAB gained several contracts through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was paid nearly $13 million by the government.
Richardson declined comment to comment when reached Monday.
HUBZone, or Historically Underutilized Business Zone, is a program run by the U.S. Small Business Administration that gives small businesses in urban and rural communities greater access to federal contracts.
Under the program, businesses that have their primary office in a designated HUBZone, and meet other requirements, can receive certification from the SBA. Businesses can use that certification when bidding on government contracts. In some cases, government agencies will restrict competition for a contract to HUBZone certified companies, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The suit alleges that TAB originally applied to the HUBZone program in 2000, claiming its primary office was located at 1010 Walnut Ave. NE in Canton, which is inside a HUBZone. But the complaint said that none of TAB's employees actually worked at the Walnut Avenue location; the company instead ran operations from an office at 4534 Vliet St. SW in Perry Twp., which is outside of the HUBZone.
Richardson listed the Vliet location as an equipment shop on the application, according to court documents.
Richardson consistently used the Vliet Street address in TAB's business affairs and stated under oath in unrelated private litigation that the company was located there, according to court documents.
The suit alleges that in 2006, Richardson re-certified for HUBZone status using the Walnut Street address and claimed that eight employees worked at the location. But he continued to assert elsewhere that the company was located on Vliet Street.
In 2009, the SBA did a site search of the TAB's Walnut Street office and "found no evidence that (the) firm was operating its business (there)," according to court documents.
SBA sent a letter to TAB notifying the company that it would lose its HUBZone certification. Richardson replied that TAB had moved operations to another HUBZone site — 530 Walnut Ave. NE — and apologized for not informing SBA sooner, according to court documents.
The suit alleges that the majority of TAB's employees were not working at 530 Walnut Ave. NE in 2009, but continued to work at the Vliet Street office until late 2010 or early 2011. SBA withdrew TAB's HUBZone certification in 2010.
The government filed its suit against TAB in two consolidated lawsuits filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The Act allows a private citizen to sue on behalf of the government and receive a portion of any funds recovered, according to the news release.
The government is allowed to intervene in the lawsuit, and has done so in this case, according to the release.
Two employees of Pavkov Contracting, a HUBZone-certified firm in Sumter, S.C., sued TAB in March 2011. Two former TAB employees also filed a lawsuit in July 2011.
Reach Jessica at 330-580-8322 or
On Twitter: @jholbrookREP


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For six years, county auditors have operated a state Bureau of Motor Vehicles office at 3187 Whitewood St. NW.
The Stark County Auditor's office is getting out of the deputy registrar license bureau business.
For six years, county auditors have operated a state Bureau of Motor Vehicles office at 3187 Whitewood St. NW. However, Auditor Alan Harold chose not to renew the expiring contract.
"There are only six or seven county auditors in the state who have them," said Harold, explaining that he believes issuing driver's licenses and license plates is far removed from the auditor's core duties.
County auditors are responsible for everything from calculating real estate tax rates to issuing vendor licenses.
Harold said the county got into the business during former Auditor Kim Perez's term. Harold renewed the three-year lease once, but decided not to renew again, which opened the location for bids by prospective deputy registrars.
The new operator will be Joseph Burgess, who currently runs the deputy registrar office in Canton Township, according to Lindsey Bohrer, a spokesman for the Ohio BMV.
Harold said 11 people are employed at the Whitewood office. He said some will be retained when the license bureau switches over to Burgess' control during the week of Jan. 19.
Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 or on Twitter: @tbotosREP


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"If there's a place you can do a battery in-this is it," Lucas Murphy said. Murphy was tasked with dropping the new OPTIMA® YELLOWTOP® into his Ultra4 at this year's King of the Hammers race in Johnson Valley, California-one of the most brutal races in motorsports. His ultimate goal, other than winning at King of the Hammers, was to put the battery through the paces. Read More
Posted: Oct 31, 2017


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The road could be closed two to three days.
Third Street NW, between Raff Road and Montrose Avenue, will be closed until further notice following a water main break Tuesday night.
"It blew the road up pretty good, so we had to shut the road down until we can get it cleaned up," said Mark Moore, construction supervisor for the Canton Water Department. "There's no driving over that mess. It destroyed a good bit of it."
Moore said the road could be closed two to three days.
The water main broke around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, sending "a river" of water into Tuscarawas Street. Moore said the area was heavily salted by the Canton Street Department. He does not expect the road closure to affect businesses or schools in the area.
The city worked until 5 a.m. to replace about seven feet of the 12-inch diameter water main. However, water service was restored to the area two hours following the break, Moore said.


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An amazing thing happened this week! While technically, the numbered list isn't ranked in any way, I'm fine with being first on the list, even if it is just alphabetical and a coincidence they listed my blog in the first section :).
Thanks to my readers who nominated my site for inclusion in this helpful list curated by the generous folks at The Write Life. I'm honored and thrilled to be listed along with several other helpful sites, such as Writers Helping Writers in the Inspiration section and Duotrope in the Tools section. Check out the complete list here:
100 Best Websites for Writers in 2019
The Write Life provides a plethora of writing resources divided into five main sections: Freelancing, Marketing, Blogging, Publishing, and Craft. They also send out a free email newsletter. Articles are posted regularly and include opportunities for writers and poets as well as craft tips and more. Check out some of these great articles:
- 31 Free Writing Contests: Legitimate Competitions With Cash Prizes
- 4 Ways to Use Your Writing Skills to Help Others
- The Ultimate Guide to Rocking Your Next Writing Convention
If you like this post, please share with your writerly friends and/or follow my blog or like my Facebook page. You can see all the FREE resources my blog offers poets/writers on my Blog Tour page.
Categories: Self-taught MFA, Writing Resources


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Welcome to Logopedia!Edit
Welcome to Logopedia! Thanks for your edit to File:Lu.jpg! We hope you enjoy editing here. At Logopedia, our main goal is to provide viewers with as many logos of as many companies as possible, from all over the world. We even provide former versions of logos. We are continuing to add more and more logos to articles. You can help too, by uploading new logos and creating new articles! At Logopedia, we try to make our articles and pictures are as clean as possible. To continue to do this, we have created a set of policies that we ask every user to abide by. If you cannot follow these policies, your account may be blocked/banned. Please listen to these policies so Logopedia can stay clean. So we can learn more about you, we reccomend you create your user page. Here you can place information about you, and whatever you want that is appropriate. If you need any further help, feel free to contact an administrator, who will be glad to help you! -- Rdg vitorino (Talk) 21:42, 21 November 2011


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U.S. Bishop and Eminent Theologian Lecture at Loyola
Loyola press release - August 27, 2002
Due to an inclement weather forecast for the area this week, Loyola University New Orleans Institute for Ministry has canceled the lecture "The Role of the Theologian at a Catholic University" scheduled for Thursday, October 3 at 7 p.m. The lecture will be rescheduled for Spring 2003. For future scheduling information, call 865-3728.
(New Orleans)Internationally known theologian Monika K. Hellwig, Ph.D., and the Bishop of Erie the Most Reverend Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D., S.S.L., will present The Role of the Theologian at a Catholic University, on October 3, 2002, at 7 p.m. in the Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall at Loyola University New Orleans. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Recent church documents on Catholic higher education have called for a renewed dialogue between bishops and theologians. This conversation between a bishop and a lay theologian will reflect on the work of theologians in Catholic university settings. Our hope is that this program will help to promote further dialogue between bishops and theologians in the U.S., explains Barbara Fleischer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Pastoral Theology at the Loyola Institute for Ministry. Loyola is one of the first Catholic universities in recent years to foster renewed dialogue between the two groups by hosting a public lecture of this kind followed by a planning meeting for ongoing conversation between bishops and theologians.
On October 4, a small group of approximately 12 representatives from the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine with representatives of the Catholic Theology Society, the College Theology Society, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, and the Association of Marianist Colleges and Universities will explore issues that might be most fruitful for further dialogue among bishops and theologians. In addition, the representatives will identify possible venues where such
dialogue could take place in the future. The group is intended to be a catalyst for plans in this dialogical direction. This meeting will be co-chaired by Msgr. John Strynkowski, Executive Director of the USCCB Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices, and Dr. Monika K. Hellwig, Executive Director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Loyolas Institute for Ministry is convening and hosting the meeting of various representatives.
For more information about the lecture and meeting, please call (504) 865-3728.
About Hellwig
Dr. Monika Hellwig is the executive director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU). Before assuming her current position at ACCU, she was the Landegger Distinguished Professor of Theology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She has published over 20 books and hundreds of articles in various areas of theology. Hellwig received her doctorate from the Catholic University of America and has taught as visiting professor of theology in the United States, Canada, India, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya. She is past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and has received honorary doctorates from Fairfield University, Santa Clara University, Immaculate Conception Seminary, and Loyola University New Orleans, among others.
About Trautman
The Most Reverend Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D., S.S.L., is Bishop of the Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, and Chair of the U.S. Catholic Bishops Committee on Doctrine. He completed his theological studies at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, studying under theologian Karl Rahner
and liturgist Josef Jungmann. He earned a licentiate degree in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblial Institute in Rome and his doctorate in Sacred Theology from St. Thomas Aquinas University in Rome. In 1990, he became the bishop of Erie. Bishop Trautman is presently chair of the USCCBs Committee on Doctrine and a member of the Administrative Board of the USCCB. He also serves as member of the Liturgy Committee and has served on several other committees, including the Bishops Pro-Life, Migration and Refugee, and Communications committees. He has been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from Canisius College, Niagara University, St. Johns University, and Gannon University.


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2003 News Releases > October 2003 > WBU band hosts UIL marching contest
WBU band hosts UIL marching contest
PLAINVIEW - Students from Wayland Baptist University's Pioneer Marching Band are hosting their third straight weekend of marching band events, with the Area UIL marching contest planned for Saturday, Oct. 25, in Bulldog Stadium.
The contest is a follow-up to last Saturday's Region XVI contest for A and AA bands and features many of those qualifying bands competing at the next level. A total of 23 bands will be performing, with judging by band officials from around the state. The competition will begin at noon with the 1A schools, and will run through 7 p.m. with the presentation of 2A awards.
Visiting bands from 1A, in order of performance, are as follows: Clarendon, Whiteface, McCamey, Sunray, Sudan, Sundown, Iraan-Sheffield, Smyer, Stratford and Plains. Awards for the 1A schools will be announced at 2:45 p.m. Participating 2A schools include, in order of performance: Abernathy, Idalou, Canadian, West Texas, Tahoka, Panhandle, Boys Ranch, Van Horn, Alpine, Seagraves, Roosevelt, Forsan and Crane. Awards for 2A will be announced at 7 p.m.
A full schedule with specific times can be accessed via the Wayland Web site at www.wbu.edu . A link to the band festival is on the home page.
The Pioneer band began the month of band events on Oct. 11 with their annual Plainview Pioneer Marching Festival, co-hosted by Plainview High School and bringing in 38 bands from around the area, performing in preparation for UIL competition. Tim Kelley, director of instrumental music studies at Wayland, said his students have operated most all facets of the festival and the following UIL events and felt the invitation to host two UIL contests was a tribute to their hard work and smooth running of the festival.
Visitors are welcome to watch the bands perform. Admission to Bulldog Stadium is $2 for adults and $1 for students.


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- Matches taped for tonight's episode of TNA Impact Wrestling are Samoa Joe vs. a member of Aces & 8s, Christian York vs. Rob Van Dam, Kazarian & Daniels vs. Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez, Gail Kim vs. Miss Tessmacher and Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries in the main event.
Full Impact Wrestling results are here.
- Based on statistics, one could make the argument that TNA is not progressing in certain areas. As far as ratings go, in November of 2011, Impact was drawing an average 1.17 rating with 1.61 million viewers. In November of 2012, they are averaging a 0.96 rating with 1.27 million viewers. This is a 17.9% drop in ratings and a 21.1% drop in audience. The Impact decline by percentage year-over-year is significantly more than WWE's RAW or SmackDown.
As far as live event attendance goes, in November of 2011, the average attendance for events was 975. In November of 2012, average attendance is down 40.4% to 581.
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Subscribe to The Wrestling Observer by clicking here. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus history pieces. New subscribers can also receive free classic issues.


text: The global travel logs of greenhouse gases are based on atmospheric sampling locations sprinkled over the Earth and short towers that measure the uptake or release of carbon from a small patch of forest. But those measurements don't agree with current computer models of how plants and soils behave.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haEjmi1J6GAA University of Michigan researcher is developing a unique way to reconcile these crucial data."If we're going to adapt to climate change, we need to be able to predict what the climate will be," said Anna Michalak, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences. "We want to know how the sources and sinks of carbon will evolve in the future, and the only way we can manage climate change is with scientific information."Michalak is discussing the work at the symposium "Improving Understanding of Carbon Flux Variability Using Atmospheric Inverse Modeling" Sunday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting here. She co-organized the session, "The Carbon Budget: Can We Reconcile Flux Estimates?" with Joyce Penner, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences.For some 50 years, scientists have measured the amount of carbon dioxide in the air on a large scale, at an increasing number of locations sprinkled across the globe, and by sampling very small areas. Together with inventories of fossil fuel use, that's given good data about how much carbon is being pumped into the atmosphere—currently approximately 8 billion tons a year.It's also known that half of that stays in the atmosphere. The rest comes to rest in the oceans, the earth, or is gobbled up by plants during photosynthesis.But then the data gets harder to come by and scientists have had to make some assumptions. Those flux towers only cover a few places on Earth, and it's too cumbersome to collect data on small areas. Even a powerful new tool Michalak will be using—NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO), a satellite designed to monitor atmospheric carbon—does not paint a perfect picture. She compares the thin data strips it harvests with wrapping a basketball with floss.The problem: Michalak said the data takes such a big-picture approach that it is difficult to isolate carbon being emitted or taken up in specific regions, or even countries. Scientists are left with an understanding of carbon sources that isn't nimble enough to understand the variability, or to be confident about predicting the future.Michalak has developed a robust way to use available data to understand this variability called "geostatistical inverse modeling." This method breaks the globe into small regions and examines how much CO2 must have been emitted in each region to achieve the concentrations measured at atmospheric sample points. This method also allows her and her collaborators to use information from other existing satellites that measure the Earth's surface to supplement the information from the atmospheric monitoring network. Eventually, this method aims to trace the carbon levels at each sample point to a particular source or sink on the surface.The technique, Michalak says, is like figuring out where the cream was originally poured in a cup of half-stirred coffee."Winds and weather patterns mix CO2 in the atmosphere just like stirring mixes cream in a cup of coffee," she said. "As soon as you start stirring, you lose some information about where and when the cream was originally added to the cup. With careful measurements and models, however, much of this information can be recovered.""One of our big questions is how carbon sources and sinks evolve," Michalak said. "This is all with an eye on prediction and management."Michalak's work on the carbon cycle is funded by NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy. Michalak is a fellow with the U-M Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, which develops, coordinates and promotes multidisciplinary energy research and education at U-M.


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About this blog
FLEFF Intern Voices
The Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival from the interns' point of view
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Blog posting written by Jennifer Barish, Communication Management & Design '14, FLEFF intern, Skokie, IL
Many of my friends who study flute, guitar, or bassoon at Ithaca College usually laugh at my ignorance of quarter notes and half notes. I don't know music. But I certainly can feel it.
During last Sunday's...


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If you are going snowboarding then you most definitely will need something over your hands to keep from turning blue and these things are super import part of your snow kit. Zumiez has a large selection of these to buy from and wear no matter how cold or warm the climate is. There are many types including your standard five finger gloves, spring or pipe gloves, mittens, lobster or trigger mitts (with your pointer finger free), and even lightweight cotton ones for a cold day in the streets or for when you are waiting on the bus. Shop gloves or mittens from some of your favorite brands like DaKine, POW, Neff, Grenade, Roxy, Burton, 686, Celtek, Analog, and more. Keep those hands warm and in style with a fresh pair for your upcoming season.